Those exact same flyers were being passed out here in Connecticut a few weeks ago by some group calling themselves the United Klans of America. Now how does it work, is there still like a central KKK office handing out directives to local franchises, or is the Klan of 2013 just a bunch of white trash assholes wearing the Confederate Flag and adopting the letters KKK as though it gives their insanity some sort of credibility?

It seems to me like if you really wanted people to listen to your views on racial, ethnic, or religious superiority, and take them seriously, you should probably avoid using the Confederate Flag, the letters KKK, or the swastika altogether. These things all have a pretty negative conotation amongst the public, perhaps it's time to adopt a new symbol for your hate group? Maybe one that doesn't remind people of slavery, lynchings, or Adolf Hitler?

spman:Those exact same flyers were being passed out here in Connecticut a few weeks ago by some group calling themselves the United Klans of America. Now how does it work, is there still like a central KKK office handing out directives to local franchises, or is the Klan of 2013 just a bunch of white trash assholes wearing the Confederate Flag and adopting the letters KKK as though it gives their insanity some sort of credibility?

It seems to me like if you really wanted people to listen to your views on racial, ethnic, or religious superiority, and take them seriously, you should probably avoid using the Confederate Flag, the letters KKK, or the swastika altogether. These things all have a pretty negative conotation amongst the public, perhaps it's time to adopt a new symbol for your hate group? Maybe one that doesn't remind people of slavery, lynchings, or Adolf Hitler?

From what I understand the Klan has pretty much decentralized and is now made up of mostly independent factions. Apparently they don't do a whole lot more than recruit these days and only manage a meager turn out for parades and protests.

The goal of the fliers isn't to get you to listen to their views - they realize on some level that rational people aren't interested. They want to catch any die-hard racists they may have missed so that they can get them involved, and at the same time terrify and intimidate and minority families that happen to receive the message.

spman:It seems to me like if you really wanted people to listen to your views on racial, ethnic, or religious superiority, and take them seriously, you should probably avoid using the Confederate Flag, the letters KKK, or the swastika altogether. These things all have a pretty negative conotation amongst the public, perhaps it's time to adopt a new symbol for your hate group? Maybe one that doesn't remind people of slavery, lynchings, or Adolf Hitler?

Those are pretty powerful marketing tools for like-minded individuals.

Racist idiots, another reason why I support the second amendment. If they pulled that shiat here I swear to God I'd arm and pay to have my Mexican-American neighbors trained to use firearms. A real neighborhood watch. You're not stringing up or even intimidating my friends.

TuteTibiImperes:From what I understand the Klan has pretty much decentralized and is now made up of mostly independent factions. Apparently they don't do a whole lot more than recruit these days and only manage a meager turn out for parades and protests.

I haven't seen a Klansman since I lived in Alabama in the 90s (when they still held regular parades and stuff, probably still do knowing Alabama) but as I remember even then it was just random groups of hicks picking up the name and pulling out their daddy's robes to play dressup in the garage with their buddies. I don't think they have a national leader or anything.

violentsalvation:Racist idiots, another reason why I support the second amendment. If they pulled that shiat here I swear to God I'd arm and pay to have my Mexican-American neighbors trained to use firearms. A real neighborhood watch. You're not stringing up or even intimidating my friends.

Dropping of flyers, especially if they don't contain any overt threats, would be protected by the 1st. Now if they take it beyond that and actually threaten, vandalize, or physically intimidate someone, by all means have at them.

TuteTibiImperes:violentsalvation: Racist idiots, another reason why I support the second amendment. If they pulled that shiat here I swear to God I'd arm and pay to have my Mexican-American neighbors trained to use firearms. A real neighborhood watch. You're not stringing up or even intimidating my friends.

Dropping of flyers, especially if they don't contain any overt threats, would be protected by the 1st. Now if they take it beyond that and actually threaten, vandalize, or physically intimidate someone, by all means have at them.

Back in the day they were infiltrated to the very top by the producers of the Superman radio program to gather some facts for a Superman vs the Klan radio play. They used the real names and passwords and such. Difficulty level: 3/10

So the Klan changed up everything. Their security was still childishly easy to penetrate.

Hmm, I'm sensing some negativity towards these guys, maybe they could do with a rebranding?Change the name to something less charged, maybe K³ would help.As for the robes, well I'm sure they're an absolute nightmare to keep clean even with modern detergents so I propose they all wear Speedos, cover themselves in butter and take overdose quantities of fortified psychedelics and have at it in an empty hot-tub with some poisonous snake helmets and hot-coals enemas...Oh, that got weird. I need to rethink my proposal.

spman:Now how does it work, is there still like a central KKK office handing out directives to local franchises, or is the Klan of 2013 just a bunch of white trash assholes wearing the Confederate Flag and adopting the letters KKK as though it gives their insanity some sort of credibility?

They wanted to build a central headquarters but were forced to abandon the idea when it came down to discussing the name.

Back in the day they were infiltrated to the very top by the producers of the Superman radio program to gather some facts for a Superman vs the Klan radio play. They used the real names and passwords and such. Difficulty level: 3/10

So the Klan changed up everything. Their security was still childishly easy to penetrate.

Have you seen the types of people the Klan attracts? There may be a few at the top that may be of average to above average intelligence, but the majority of their members have always been idiots. You have to be pretty dumb not to realize what they preach is nonsense. For these types of people you have to keep things pretty simple.

Skinheads aren't rooted in Jamaica. They're rooted in marketing textbooks. That's why skinheads are invariably shallow people with no discernible identity other than the one that they bought into.

/but really, skinheads are rooted in England. The only reason Jamaica comes up is that mods liked rudeboy clothes and ska. It's like saying swing dance was rooted in Mexico because Chicanos wore zoot suits.

PaulRB:Bucky Katt: The KKK appeals only to neatherthals. Any racist with a hint of intelligence prefers to be more mainstream. Like working for the Heritage Foundation or as a staffer for a southern senator.

Or working for Rand Paul.

Sorry, just realized Rand Paul was a southern senator (I still find that shocking).

Tumunga:gilgigamesh: I expected the wake of the Zimmerman verdict would result in a resurgence for the Klan.

So, the klan likes Hispanics now. Got it.

Don't be obtuse, the Zimmerman verdict and everything about the trial (minus Zim actually being a white guy) was a victory for them. It played to their confirmation bias that there are dangerous young black men out attacking law abiding citizens and that the media and government are both complicit in demonizing those who would lawfully defend themselves. When Zimmerman was found not guilty it was like their "IT'S HAPPENING" moment and you saw them (here on Fark too) start to come out of the woodwork with more bold racist sentiments not related to the trial itself.

No one is trying to make a guilt by association argument that just because you're a Zimmerman supporter you're in league with the Klan or inherently racist yourself, but if you can't see why it put the jump back in white supremacist's steps you're being silly.

TuteTibiImperes:From what I understand the Klan has pretty much decentralized and is now made up of mostly independent factions. Apparently they don't do a whole lot more than recruit these days and only manage a meager turn out for parades and protests.

That was always ultimately what did them in. Each little group of local idiots was never really that well connected to the other local groups of idiots. They only ever had a semblance of national organization.

You have to understand, people that hateful are never going to get along in significantly large groups as each one thinks they know better.

thoughtless:Tumunga: gilgigamesh: I expected the wake of the Zimmerman verdict would result in a resurgence for the Klan.

So, the klan likes Hispanics now. Got it.

Don't be obtuse, the Zimmerman verdict and everything about the trial (minus Zim actually being a white guy) was a victory for them. It played to their confirmation bias that there are dangerous young black men out attacking law abiding citizens and that the media and government are both complicit in demonizing those who would lawfully defend themselves. When Zimmerman was found not guilty it was like their "IT'S HAPPENING" moment and you saw them (here on Fark too) start to come out of the woodwork with more bold racist sentiments not related to the trial itself.

No one is trying to make a guilt by association argument that just because you're a Zimmerman supporter you're in league with the Klan or inherently racist yourself, but if you can't see why it put the jump back in white supremacist's steps you're being silly.

/I apologize in advance for contributing to this thread derailment

Well, both the media and the government did demonize a man who lawfully defended himself, so if what you're saying is true then they did get it right on that point didn't they?

thoughtless:Tumunga: gilgigamesh: I expected the wake of the Zimmerman verdict would result in a resurgence for the Klan.

So, the klan likes Hispanics now. Got it.

Don't be obtuse, the Zimmerman verdict and everything about the trial (minus Zim actually being a white guy) was a victory for them. It played to their confirmation bias that there are dangerous young black men out attacking law abiding citizens and that the media and government are both complicit in demonizing those who would lawfully defend themselves. When Zimmerman was found not guilty it was like their "IT'S HAPPENING" moment and you saw them (here on Fark too) start to come out of the woodwork with more bold racist sentiments not related to the trial itself.

No one is trying to make a guilt by association argument that just because you're a Zimmerman supporter you're in league with the Klan or inherently racist yourself, but if you can't see why it put the jump back in white supremacist's steps you're being silly.

/I apologize in advance for contributing to this thread derailment

There are dangerous young black men (as well as dangerous young hispanics, whites and asians), but in my city at least they mostly attack each other, not law abiding citizens.

Well, both the media and the government did demonize a man who lawfully defended himself, so if what you're saying is true then they did get it right on that point didn't they?

Yup then they used the media's attempts to portray Zimmerman as white and the race riots they were sure would come as boogeyman talking points. The verdict was sound and the media/prosecutors farked up big time so the neo-nazi types were elated to use this as a "we told you so" moment.